Tainted Black
by desperatesmiles
Summary: Kamiya Kaoru unknowingly becomes the solution for a 'perfect' peace treaty. Only when the plan backfires, not knowing the difference between right and wrong becomes the least of her worries.
1. For Peace

**Author's Notes: **Hey everyone... I'll probably explain more in depth in the next chapter, but stay with me! Please leave positive feedback! It makes me a whole lot more confident and actually look forward to updating. Not much else to say, except that I hope you enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin...

**Tainted Black**

Chapter One

For Peace

Any sensible person would be at home tending to their duties. They would certainly _not _be walking around at night in the middle of a storm. That would be the obvious and natural thing to do. However those rules didn't seem to apply to the two lone figures walking calmly to wherever their destination was. With rain falling down so hard, anyone would be fleeing to their home trying to escape the blinding flashes of lightening. That is, unless you were trying _not_ to attract attention to yourself. This _was_ a kingdom at war after all. Attracting attention is something that no one wants to do during a war. Unless you want to be arrested for suspicious behavior, it would be best if you stayed quiet.

The two figures both wore a cloak with the hood pulled tightly over their heads. They spoke quietly, their words being swept away by the puffs of wind.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" The softly whispered voice clearly belonged to a female. The two figures stopped for a moment, observing their surroundings warily, as if someone was listening amidst the loud rumbles of thunder.

"Yes, I'm quite certain that this is Kumamoto," said a gentle, reassuring baritone voice. The couple gazed into each other's eyes with a look of finality and continued their path a bit more hurriedly than before. They certainly felt more rushed, there were many houses and they had to discuss the matter at hand with _them _immediately. This arrangement was vital for the people of two warring kingdoms.

While their search for _that _house was proving fruitless, someone had seemed to answer their silent prayers. A large, crackling flash of lightening provided enough light for the two to see _the _house. It was a beautiful house, a house that stood by itself at the end of a bridge. Although they had been to _this _house numerous times before, the rain splattered onto their face which blurred their vision, and the harsh winds insisted upon biting their skin with chilly wisps of air. You could almost visibly see the relief radiating from the cloaked figures. They both began to run as fast as their legs could carry them, despite the fact that they were tired and soaked to the bone. Their heavy, sore legs pounded on the wet wood as they began to make their way to the house.

After what seemed like hours running across the seemingly endless bridge, they found themselves in front of a door. The female figure shivered, only it wasn't because of the rain. It was almost like a sense of dread…something wasn't right. It was almost as if someone was watching them.

Before they could even knock, the door opened, revealing a young brunette with chocolate brown eyes urging them into the house. The couple rushed in while the brunette shut and bolted the door closed. The mysterious figures removed their shoes while the petite young woman helped the two take off their cloaks. She quietly led the two to her living room where a tall raven-haired man with the most dazzling sapphire eyes stood.

The woman with chocolate eyes, known as Kamiya Yuko, walked over and stood beside the man whom was her husband, Kamiya Souta. As soon as they stood together side by side, they immediately dropped to the floor and bowed a low bow. "We are absolutely honored to be in your presence," Souta said. The couple smiled gently at their two dear friends who bowed before them.

"Please, stand up. You don't need to be so formal," said Himura Ayumi gently. Ayumi was a tall woman with average features. The only thing that stood out about her was her gorgeous blood red hair.

The Kamiyas awkwardly stood up. They didn't know how else to treat the Himura's…they _were_ royalty.

"We are truly sorry…we just don't know how you are normally treated with respect…"Yuko said in a sincere voice.

"Nonsense! In this kingdom we don't have to go through formalities…After all, we are not the one's in control of this nation," said Himura Shinta with a joyful tone. Shinta was a lighthearted man with dark black hair. He always seemed to be in good humor, which is most definitely why so many people feel at ease whenever they are around him. The air seemed to be cut in half as the intensity ebbed away a bit. Everyone smiled at each other reassuringly, as if trying to prepare themselves for what was to come.

"Although this is a blissful reunion, we have business to tend to…"Ayumi said softly. With that statement the intensity seemed to be thickening all over again.

"She is right. This is no time to talk like these are the old times. Yuko, if you would please." Souta said with a hint of regret. "Yes, but before we do, let us sit down on the cushions," Yuko said. They all sat, bowed respectfully, and looked at Yuko.

Kamiya Yuko cleared her throat as she began to speak, "This ordeal and strife that our two kingdoms have entered is simply put, a living hellhole. There is an agonizing amount of bloodshed and the people now live in fear," Yuko stopped for a moment, looked in the eyes of her husband and her guests as she continued, "Everyone is terrified of what is to come. There have been countless assassinations, robberies, and even kidnappings. The people are begging for peace and my husband and I have decided to take whatever action is necessary to ensure the peace these people want with all of their souls!" Yuko's clear sorrowful voice resonated throughout the room as she concluded. They nodded slowly in unison, each thinking their own thoughts.

Himura Shinta broke the silence, an edge to his voice as he spoke, "You are such reliable friends, and we want peace as much as you do. So for the sake of peace, my wife and I have come up with a plan that will be guaranteed to fulfill just that. It's foolproof." The Kamiya's searched their faces questioningly, waiting for the plan.

Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, it hit them. It _was_ after all, the easiest form of an answer.

Yuko's face paled dramatically while her husband remained stoic. "You don't mean to tell us that you want…" Yuko didn't have enough mental strength to keep the quiver from her voice. The Himura's stared at them and nodded.

They knew this would be hard on the Kamiya's. If the Himura's were the type to buckle under emotional pressure and turmoil, they wouldn't have made it as far as they did.

"This is the only option left for us to take. Your King and Queen do not want to negotiate with us at all. They believe that as soon as we settle for peace, we will attack and take over," Himura Shinta said in a steely voice.

A few still moments passed before Souta spoke, "Is this the only way? Is there no other way to ensure peace?" It was soon obvious that although his apathetic mask was absolutely flawless, he couldn't manage to hide the emotion in his voice. The Queen and King slowly looked at each other, looked back at the distressed Kamiya's, and nodded. "Then we must," Kamiya Souta said, void of emotion. It took a few seconds for Yuko to fully comprehend what he said. "What?" Yuko's voice was barely above a whisper. Souta looked at his wife and said, "We must." There was no arguing with that tone of voice. Yuko felt helpless and she didn't like it one bit. "We can't let her go through with this," murmured Yuko in a monotonous voice.

Kamiya Souta and the Himura's looked shocked. Yuko almost _never_ defied an order when her husband gave it. She was, in all sense, the perfect wife. She cooked, cleaned, was very polite, lady-like, very beautiful, and helped care for her child alongside with her husband. "Yuko…we must do this…its for the good of two kingdoms. If we don't accept there will be more bloodshed. Only from this point on it will be our fault, because we didn't agree to this," Yuko's husband said in a slightly raised voice.

Yuko looked sadly up at her husband and said, "Souta…you are willing to bring the happiness to these warring kingdoms…our Kingdom of Kyushu and the Himura's Kingdom of Chubu…and yet…your actions are proving that you are putting the welfare and happiness of the people, above our only daughter."

His breath hitched as his eyes flashed with unspoken anger. "Yuko, you know I care about our daughter more than life itself…but this will prevent a longer war! How can our daughter live in peace, when the two kingdoms itself are not in peace? These are horrible, horrible, times Yuko. There is senseless bloodshed everywhere! When you walk home from work at night, you at least hear one scream of somebody out there being tortured or even murdered!" he said in a firm voice.

The king and queen just sat quietly, hoping beyond hope that they would just agree. Yuko looked up at her husband with hesitance and worry. "She will never trust again. No matter how long we keep this from her she will find out. When she does, even if she loves us, it will turn into mistrust, hate, and she will never speak to us again," she said with tints of regret. The Kamiya's looked at each other, and slowly looked at the Himura's as they spoke their finalized answer in unison, "We accept."

Relief flickered quickly across the faces of the Himura's.

"Excellent, just excellent!" King Himura Shinta said in a loud voice. Himura Ayumi looked reproachfully at her husband, and stated quietly, "What about your daughter? What if she hears our conversation? My husband has a naturally loud voice…and shoji doors are, well…" The Kamiya's looked at each other, smiled, and laughed softly. "Our daughter is a very, rather abnormal heavy sleeper for her age. Especially since she has been wearing herself out practicing her swordsmanship…She has gotten quite good, and she now has her own katana…she sleeps with it like a child would sleep with a doll." Souta said with pride.

The Himura's looked at each other with slight distaste. "Are you sure you should be teaching her about swordsmanship… it's just not proper for…a lady of such standards to learn swordsmanship. She only started, so you should begin to discourage her." Himura Ayumi said with a small voice. Souta glared while Yuko decided to speak, "Actually, we can't discourage her. She has been practicing since she was 5 years old with a mere stick…she officially started learning by the time she was 7."

The Himura's facial figures contorted with disgust, but before either of them could say anything Souta said quickly "How is your son? Our daughter has always asked about him. She said she was disappointed that he couldn't make it to her 13th birthday. They haven't seen each other in two years after all." All thoughts of swordsmanship vanished as the Himura's thought about their sweet son. "He misses her as well, naturally. She was his largest source of friendship and entertainment. He was devastated when I told him that he couldn't see her because of the war between our kingdoms. These two years have been very boring for him indeed. Especially with him being prince and all…" Ayumi said in a kind voice.

Shinta then took the time to clear his throat to get their attention. "It was just wonderful hearing about your daughter again, but we have to get focused again…when will it take place? In a few months?" King Himura said in a matter-of-fact voice. Queen Himura Ayumi looked at the Kamiya's expectantly.

Only the Kamiya's looked dumbfounded. "In a few months…?" Yuko stammered.

The queen scoffed and said, "Of course! We can't put this off until later now can we?"

"She is only 13 years old! Surely you can't expect someone that young to…" Souta trailed off.

"I'm beginning to lose my faith in you Kamiya's…" King Himura said testily.

"Please understand…she is a free spirited child. To put her into that sort of predicament…is inexcusable." Yuko said quietly.

The Kamiya's stared at the Himura's in questionable silence, while the Himura's seemed perfectly content in glaring holes into the Kamiya's heads.

"Why our daughter? What about princess Tomoe?" Yuko blurted out in a desperate voice.

The king and queen looked sheepishly at her. "You _do _recall her scandalous activity about a year ago…"Queen Himura Ayumi said pleadingly. That was all she needed to say for the Kamiya's to understand. Their daughter was not of noble blood so there had to be some reason for the Himura's to ask something like this from them. The Himura's were obviously worried that another scandal would occur, and their "foolproof" plan would evaporate like water left in the blazing sun.

The Kamiya's still had their doubts however. "I thought that the court at Kumamoto castle said that she had changed. That she was purified and that her sin had been forgiven by the gods." Kamiya Souta stated suspiciously. "Yes, I recall hearing that as well. There was an ancient ceremony that had taken place at the purest water in the city. There was a sacred prayer done at the temple later on in the ceremony," Yuko said.

"We can't take our chances on matters such as these…you are our only hope and the next best choice would be you," the king said with a fleeting smile.

Of course the Kamiya's knew that, but they were in denial. They couldn't do this to her…she was only 13.

"Besides, we thought it would be easier on both of them since they know each other well…" Ayumi said with her most convincing voice. The Kamiya's looked at each other hesitantly. "We will accept…if you wait at least 3 years, when she is close to adulthood." Kamiya Souta said placidly. The Himura's glared coldly at the Kamiya's suggestion. "You wish for us to wait until she is mature enough to handle the situation…? How many more people will die in these 3 years of waiting? Of doing…nothing?" the king said in a deadly voice.

"We may have been friends for a long time…but this is absolutely ludicrous!!" the queen exclaimed. "Yes we have been friends for a long time haven't we…so to honor that friendship you should at least grant us this one request in the matter!" Yuko said determinedly. The Himura's heaved a great sigh. They couldn't bear to argue with their friends any longer. They both smiled gently at the Kamiya's, signaling that their one request had been granted.

"It's late, we should be getting back to the Chubu Kingdom. The walk from outside of the city gates to your house alone was roughly an hour due to the rain, and our carriage should be waiting outside of Kumamoto fairly soon. So as you can see, we don't have time for idle chatter, unfortunately," King Himura said apologetically.

"Certainly. You can't have your carriage riding around in the city to our house," Yuko said consolingly.

"It would arouse much more suspicion than we want," Kamiya Souta said.

The hosts walked their guests to the doorway, helping them put on their clothes and shoes. Kamiya Yuko opened the door, which led out into the rain that pored in torrents from the heavens.

The Himura's looked at them gratefully, but before they left the queen spoke, "This arranged marriage will be opening a door towards peace. My husband and I are confident that your daughter, Kamiya Kaoru, will live a happy life with our son Himura Kenshin."

"We hope so," Yuko said before clasping her hands with the queen's. After a few moments they let go, and the Himura's disappeared as the Kamiya's closed the door behind them.

Outside a mysterious woman was seated comfortably behind the trunk of a tree, quite close to the Kamiya household and within earshot of the…_interesting_ conversation that had just taken place. The woman gracefully stood up from her place on the soggy ground and began to walk in the rain. She slowly walked, heading towards the informant who should be patiently waiting in a horse drawn carriage outside the city gates.

'So it has finally begun…' she mused with self-satisfaction as she took a shorter, faster route than the Himura's, so they would not notice the carriage, which bore the golden insignia of the Kinki Kingdom.


	2. The Prodigy

**A/N**: Hey there! Welcome to the second chapter of Tainted Black! Before you read, I just want to alert you about the next two or three chapters to come. Kaoru will be increasing in age, for example, last chapter she was 13 and now she will be 14. Why am I doing this? Well, I could just make the arranged marriage now, but these chapters are going to be extremely important for the development of Kaoru's character. Ok, I will get into the key terms, just not now. So bear with me! Enjoy! (Please leave reviews! It makes me really happy! It isn't all that hard, really, all you do is click the on the pretty purple button at the bottom of the page…)

**Disclaimer**: I know I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…but for the purposes of this story, the characters are mine!!

**Tainted Black**

Chapter Two

The Prodigy

The swords clashed, a crisp sound emanating from where they met. The two swordsmen jumped back and switched their stances. Both quickly analyzed their opponent and assessed the situation. One of them was at their limit, and the other swordsman knew all too well.

Kamiya Kaoru wiped the beads of sweat off her brow as she intently concentrated on her opponent. He was tall, had long legs, and was a formidable adversary. However, every challenge comes with a fault, and she noticed every one.

He had long legs, but stumbled upon them easily, almost as if he did not know what to do with them. If he was in a tough spot, he would begin to chew on his bottom lip. Out of frustration, his left eye would begin to twitch slightly. All were faults that almost any amateur swordsman would consider minute in size. But Kamiya Kaoru was not an amateur swordsman.

She was more than an expert, she was a prodigy.

Sagara Sanosuke began to chew on his bottom lip out of pure frustration. Kaoru had switched from defense to offense, and he knew first hand how dangerous she was on offense.

Sanosuke gazed heatedly at the girl in front of him and sighed in defeat. He knew she was amazing, but not this amazing. Being forced to switch to defense, he realized how hard it was to keep a straight face with a girl who practically lacked all known emotions.

Kaoru smiled at the enraged boy and began to quickly run towards him. It was time to deal the final blow.

Sanosuke began to tense up when he saw her run towards him. He noticed something, relaxed himself, and began to switch from defense to offense once more.

The moment to win was at hand and he was not going to let this punk best him.

Kaoru danced intricate steps around Sanosuke, dodging every lunge he made. The sun glinted off of Sanosuke's sword, revealing another noticeable glitch in Kaoru's adversary. Without hesitation and with complete accuracy, Kaoru executed a perfect blow on the midsection of her opponent's sword.

"Well, I suppose that settles it, Sano-kun," Kaoru said with a smile on her face.

The spectator sitting on the grass applauded for the triumphant victor.

"No way! I could still take you on! With my eyes closed even!" Sanosuke cried out indignantly.

"I'm sorry Sano-kun, but I'm afraid not…"Kaoru said with a hint of regret.

A few seconds afterwards, a crackling sound ensued and the area where Kaoru had dealt the final blow, broke off and fell to the ground. Sanosuke gazed in horror at where half of his sword now lay.

"You truly are amazing…not even I could improve so quickly. Your skill keeps on going up," he said breathlessly.

Kaoru nodded lightly in appreciation and ran to her beloved audience.

"Hey! Father, how did I do?" He smiled as he looked at his beaming daughter, but said nothing.

"Well, what did you think father?" Kaoru asked eagerly.

Her father frowned, but his eyes twinkled with delight. "Your duel was impressive, but you made a silly mistake that anyone of higher skill would have recognized."

Kaoru pouted and said, "Please enlighten me. Unless you are not going to tell me, that is. Maybe next time I will not be so lucky and face off against an even tougher opponent. And if the stakes were life or death, he or she would not hesitate to slice off my head."

Kamiya Souta laughed heartily as Sanosuke stared wide-eyed at Kaoru. "Kaoru…did you have to be so…bloody about it?"

"Now, now Kaoru. Do you honestly think that I would point out your mistake, if I was not going to tell you?"

Kaoru smiled at this and sat down to listen to his 'words of wisdom', as she called it.

Sanosuke, whom was staring listlessly at his now useless sword, joined Kaoru and sat to listen.

"First off, you should know that there will be other people who are more experienced then you two and have gone through a lot." Sanosuke and Kaoru nodded slowly, taking in everything he had to say.

"So if anyone ever defeats you, do not feel ashamed. Feel proud that you have faced a worthy opponent."

Kaoru darted a glance at Sanosuke, giggling as he glowered.

"With that being said, Kaoru, I believe that this match was by far your greatest win yet," her father said proudly. Her face lit with happiness at that and broke into a wide grin.

"But although you did well, you made a dire mistake that could have cost you your life on the battlefield."

Kaoru frowned for she did not recall making any 'fatal' mistake.

Sanosuke racked his memories for the fatal mistake until an idea came to him. "Kamiya-san, sir, her mistake…was it when she smiled at me?"

Kaoru then gave a very un lady-like snort. "My smile? Oh please, Sano-kun. Sometimes your intelligence rivals that of a ton of bricks."

"Actually, Kaoru, he is correct."

She looked questionably at her father, ignoring the smugness radiating off of Sanosuke.

"Kaoru, you should never smile unless there is emptiness behind it. By you doing so, it was a signal that you planned to finish the match right then and there. Your smile had self-satisfaction, and boasted of confidence. It is even harder to conceal your emotions when you had none since the beginning of the fight. I am sure even you realized something was off, right Kaoru?"

Kaoru's eyes widened as she realized that the reason why Sanosuke had quickly switched to offense was because of her smile. A loud groan erupted from Kaoru when she realized her foolish mistake.

Sanosuke laughed, but was silenced as Kaoru's father switched his attention to him. "You have a long way to go, Sanosuke. So do not laugh at others follies."

A barely audible 'Yes, sir' was heard from Sanosuke as Kaoru failed to hide a snicker.

"And you, young lady, are now in charge of finding Sanosuke here a new sword. I am quite positive you have enough money to buy him one, maybe even a new sheath to go with it."

Kaoru sighed sadly, wishing that she had never broken Sanosuke's sword in the first place. Especially since buying a sword and a new sheath was going to leave her wallet empty and filled with air.

------------------------------------------

"Sano-kun! Look what you did to my wallet!" Kaoru cried sorrowfully.

She held up the limp wallet, looking away from the pitiful spectacle.

And a pitiful sight it was. What used to be a plump money filled wallet in the shape of a raccoon, was long gone. It was now replaced with a flat 'anorexic' like shape that held no resemblance to a raccoon whatsoever. Kaoru's worst fears had been confirmed after the extraneous purchase made at the blacksmith's in the city.

Sanosuke rolled his eyes over her childish behavior.

This 14-year-old prodigy, whom had mastered many complex sword techniques, whined like she was 5.

"Kaoru-chan…relax. I mean, you had to buy me whatever sword I wanted after you broke my original."

"It's not my fault you had such a cheap sword in the first place, Sano-kun…" Kaoru grumbled.

"It was not a cheap sword! Besides, lets just get back to the village so we could both go home."

"I can't believe I had to pay for it, even when the sword won't be ready until who knows when! And now I can not even buy myself a ramune at the festival in the village today," Kaoru complained sourly.

Sanosuke was about to lose what little patience he had left with this girl, despite the fact that it was bordering on empty.

"Come on, lets just go," Sanosuke said as he dragged the moping 'child' behind him.

------------------------------------------

"Hey, Sano-kun. Do you think there will be a lot of people back in the village?" Kaoru questioned excitedly.

It was a ritual for the two to take the short path to the village, for around spring time, there were hoards of sakura trees aligning the path.

"Of course, what do you think?" Sanosuke replied curtly. Kaoru sighed knowing that every attempt at conversation with Sanosuke would end in failure. It was always like that, ever since they had first met.

Sanosuke had always respected her swordsmanship, but as actual friends they had never seemed to get along.

Kaoru supposed it was when she began to argue over the flavor of ice cream that he received and she didn't. He just deemed her childish from then on, only considering her as an equal and above during a duel.

So instead of trying to speak with a living, talking, breathing rock, she tried to enjoy the sakura petals floating gently with the breeze. They both walked in silence, trying to preserve the scarce moment of tranquility that rarely appeared in their lives.

The war had ruined everything. No one was at peace anymore.

Sadly, the moment was short lived, emphasized when Kaoru asked another question.

"Sano-kun, are we there yet?"

Sanosuke sighed, accepting the fact that he would never be able to get at least 5 minutes of quiet with her around.

"Yeah, don't you remember? Its only about a few steps away from here now." K

aoru nodded her head silently, determined not to bother him anymore.

Their pace began to quicken as the village came into view. Kaoru's determination broke as she blurted, "Sano-kun, do you think that you could buy me some ramune?"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes at the mere thought of buying her ramune. "Why should I have to buy you ramune?"

"I did defeat you and that deserves some kind of commemoration at least. Plus I even bought you a new sword with a sheath."

"The only reason why you bought me a new sword was because your _dad forced_ you to," Sanosuke retorted, making sure he emphasized the 'key words'.

"Come on! Pretty please? I did beat you fair and square," Kaoru said in sickeningly sweet tones.

"The streets look quite festive, don't you think, Kaoru-chan?" Sanosuke said easily, hoping the 'smoothness' of his voice would not alert Kaoru of the subject change.

Kaoru blinked her eyes like an owl, oblivious that they had entered the village during the small disagreement.

Signs were being put up, each being written carefully with old, traditional Japanese kanji. Vendors began to display their finest eye catching goods, hoping to outdo the other 'competition.

Kaoru broke out into a wide grin until a large sign that read 'Ramune' next to a vibrant stall, caught her eye.

"You tried changing the subject again, Sano-kun."

"Okay you caught me. Fine, I'll buy you ramune, but only if," Sanosuke's voice trailed off as he came to an abrupt halt.

Kaoru stopped as well, not bothering to ask what was wrong, for she had sensed it as well. The sound of galloping horses was heard not far off behind them.

"Come on Sano-kun, let's keep on walking," she said tugging gently on his hand.

"Its odd though, horses rarely ever come by here."

Before they could even begin to walk a voice called out, obviously from one of the horseback riders.

Kaoru and Sanosuke stopped, turned around, and glanced at each other warily. There were three of them, each, whom had caught up with them quickly, stopping before the two.

Sanosuke and Kaoru stared, taking in the new sight. They certainly were not you average every day people going on a leisurely ride around the village. Everything about them was somehow misplaced.

It was almost as if they believed that everyone were tiny little cockroaches. Cockroaches that needed to be exterminated immediately, no matter what the cost.

The man who called out to them, whom Kaoru identified as the 'leader', spoke in a well-mannered voice.

" Do any of you happen to know the location of the Kamiya residence?"

Sanosuke glared at the strange men. He didn't have a good feeling about this at all.

Kaoru decided to speak up, knowing that Sanosuke hated talking to strange outsiders almost as much as he hated talking to annoying little girls, like herself.

"I know where it is, but would it be all right for me to ask where you are from?"

One of the men sneered down at her while the other picked imaginary dust specks off of the sleeves of his gi.

The 'leader' scoffed, clearly insulted that she or the boy beside her, had no clue as to where they were from. For if the two did not know where they were from, it was an obvious conclusion that they did not know who they were.

"We are part of the King and Queen's Royal Guard from Kumamoto Castle."

Now it was Kaoru's turn to sneer.

The King and Queen of Kyushu were horrible leaders, in her opinion. They did nothing to help the needy and lavished riches on the wealthier side of society. She had also heard that they shot down negotiations with Chubu on ending the war. Apparently the King and Queen loved the thought of shedding the blood of the 'unclean'.

"I see…guess it does ring a bell, somewhat."

The three men glared at the mere impudence of that child.

The man, who sneered at Kaoru earlier, then noticed the sword on Kaoru's waist. "Your swordfight?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, "Kaoru replied, smiling fondly as she lightly touched the hilt of her sword.

"How…quaint. Girls should not be bothering themselves with the sword. Playing with dolls is a more tasteful hobby for someone of such low standards."

Kaoru stared at the man, shocked at the bold implication.

Recovering from the verbal barb quickly, she stated "Oh, no. Dolls are not exactly as 'tasteful' as you say. Otherwise, I would be at home playing with them right now. I preferably enjoy the adrenalin rush of sword fighting."

Kaoru smiled brightly before adding, "The occasional spilling of blood isn't so bad either. It actually makes the sport much more pleasant."

Before any of the men could respond to the shocking reply, Sanosuke cut in saying, "You should start to leave soon, since it is getting dark and you seemed to have been in such a hurry before."

The 'leader' smiled thankfully at the change of conversation. "Yes, you are indeed quite right. We are in a bit of hurry. So where is this household?"

"Oh, if you take the out-

" Nonsense, Sano-kun! If they go that way, it will at least take half of an hour," Kaoru interjected quickly.

Sanosuke looked at her in confusion.

"The least we could do is tell you the short cut! Especially because we kept you here long enough. Isn't that right, Sano-kun?"

Kaoru gave a meaningful stare, nudging Sanosuke lightly.

Sanosuke nodded lamely, simply following along with what Kaoru said.

His perplexity must have shown, for the guards suspiciously looked at the two. Kaoru, noticing the stares, gave the three men a look of innocence.

"Please don't give us that look. We are only trying to offer you our assistance."

"Well then, the need of your assistance is required immediately," said the 'leader'.

"Ok, you see, in order to reach the Kamiya residence, you should go straight ahead from here. A bridge should appear after about 15 minutes and at the end, should be a house. That's basically it. Your lucky that it is so close by."

The 'leader' nodded in thanks as he whispered something in his comrade's ear.

The 'imaginary dust picker', reached into his pocket, retrieving an expensive velvet pouch. With the same love a man might show for his wife, the 'imaginary dust picker' carefully took out a shiny coin.

As the two men began to leave, he tossed the coin to Kaoru, and retreated with the others.

Sanosuke stared in awe at the coin in Kaoru' hands. "Wow, you don't see money like that lying around anymore…"

To be precise, it was a meager 200-yen. Only in these dire times, even that amount of money was considered priceless.

Kaoru shot a sickening look at Sanosuke as she threw the coin down.

Sanosuke's jaw dropped lower then was humanely possible, as Kaoru began to grind the coin with the heel of her shoe.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Do you know-

"All _I_ know is that those idiotic guards are treating us like dirt! Who do they thing we are? Its not like we are poor or anything! Its just unwanted charity!"

Sanosuke kept quiet, gazing longingly at the coin underneath Kaoru's foot.

"Sano-kun, lets go, now."

"Hold on! What about the festival?" T

he question went unanswered as Kaoru broke out into a run for the alleys with Sanosuke following suit.

------------------------------------------

"Okay, so let me get this straight. The reason why you told them to go on ahead was because…"

Sanosuke trailed off, still clearly oblivious to the reason why.

Kaoru sighed for the umpteenth time, aggravated that she would have to explain this to him…again.

"The reason why, is simple. Since the festival is going on, people will be all over the place. The streets will be extremely congested, and unless they want to run over harmless civilians with their horses…"

"They would have to wait until the streets cleared up," Sanosuke smiled as he finished the sentence.

Kaoru gave a brief nod, affirming Sanosuke's last statement. Right now, Kaoru's mind was focused on one thing. Run fast and arrive at the house before the clueless guards do.

-----------------------------------------

The sun began to set, dying the clouds with beautiful hues of blues, pinks, and reds.

Kaoru sighed, clearly tired of waiting for "her" visitors.

Sanosuke was starting to become very annoyed, and it showed.

"Kaoru…it's taking them forever to get here. What if they already came…because that means we have been sitting up here for no reason!"

"Sano-kun, they did not come yet. Besides, the view is nice from up here, right?"

In order for them to have found out what the guards wanted, eavesdropping was the only option. Since that was the only option available for grabs, Kaoru decided that they should hide in the great oak tree, just outside the Kamiya residence.

Sanosuke sent her a death glare as he switched to a comfortable position.

Kaoru grinned as she heard him mumble something along the lines of, 'You always have it your way…its so unfair, you bully…never wanted to hide in a dumb tree.'

Kaoru let her legs dangle from the branch she was perched in, humming merrily.

"Hey, Sano-kun?"

Sanosuke peered at her from the branch above. "Yeah? What do you want?"

She then pointed in the distance with a haughty manner.

"I told you they would come."

Sanosuke sat up clumsily from his resting position and followed her finger to where she was pointing.

Sure enough, there they were.

The horses sprinted across the bridge at high speeds, momentarily surprising Sanosuke and Kaoru both.

"Kaoru-chan, I think we should…" Sanosuke shut his mouth, realizing that she was ahead of him on that call.

"Hmm? Should do what?"

"You know…I was going to warn you about diminishing your kenki."

"Sano-kun, stop worrying about me. You should start working on your kenki."

Sanosuke had no time to reply to her callous remark for the 'leader' whom they had previously met, jumped off his horse and knocked on the wooden door.

The door promptly opened, revealing Kamiya Yuko.

The 'leader' bowed respectfully to Yuko as she did the same.

"Good evening, Kamiya-san. I am part of the King and Queen's Royal Guard from Kumamoto Castle, as is my two comrades. We are looking for your husband, Kamiya Souta."

Yuko's brow furrowed in confusion. "He is here, but may I ask as to why you request his presence?"

The leader's eyes narrowed into slits. "Kamiya-san, I assure you that this is a matter of utmost importance. I'm certain that your husband already knows why we need to see him."

Yuko's eyes widened, insulted at the superior tone in his voice. "Why, I never!-

A hand on her shoulder silenced Yuko from finishing the statement.

"Yuko, please do not stir up a commotion. I will handle this." She nodded, leaving her husband alone with the strange men, retreating into the house.

"I suppose this is concerning the war, is it not?" Souta gazed at the 'leader' impassively.

The 'leader' smiled wryly. "I see that I do not have to go into trifling explanations, eh, Kamiya-san?"

"You are correct."

The 'leader' pulled out a scroll from the folds of his gi, handing it precariously to Souta.

"You are greatly needed in this war and we hope to fight by your side fairly soon. I am sure you have not lost your remarkable ability as a swordsman."

------------------------------------------

"I thought your dad was not into violence." Sanosuke calmly remarked.

Kaoru's eyes flashed with immense rage, Sanosuke's calm words were the oil to her fire.

"I thought so as well! What is he doing?!"

Sanosuke's eyes widened as he muttered, "Kaoru-chan, please, calm yourself! Your kenki…"

-----------------------------------------

Souta's eyes flickered to the oak tree before concentrating once more on the man before him.

"Yes, yes of course. Just what are my directions exactly?"

"You are to report to the Kumamoto Castle at around noon, a week from now I presume. A carriage will pick you up outside the city gates, please do not forget to be prompt."

"And the scroll is for?"

"Your scroll is meant for identification purposes as well as the exact date and time you are to arrive. It would be best if you perused its contents tonight."

The 'leader' smiled, bowed to Kamiya Souta, and climbed atop his horse.

"Kamiya-san, the king sends his apologies for involving you in this type of affair once more. He knows how much you detest wars, but you are his only hope. You were his best assassin when you worked for him in your prime."

Souta's eyes held grief at the man's last sentence.

Noticing the pain in his eyes, the 'leader' bowed his head humbly, mumbling "I shall see you in a weeks time then, Kamiya-san."

The 'leader' left the sentence hanging in the air as he galloped away, his two comrades following closely behind.

Without a moment to spare, Souta turned his attention to the oak tree. He walked over to the tree, stopped in front of it, and called out, "Sanosuke? Kaoru? Could you please climb down from there?"

The two gave a yelp, sincerely shocked that they were discovered. An instantaneous "Yes, sir" was heard as they clambered down the tree.

"Kaoru, what were you doing up there?"

"You see, upon entering the village, we met those three guards. They stopped us in order to ask us where the Kamiya residence was so we told them. We just happened to arrive here before they did."

Souta looked at Kaoru sternly. "Is that everything?"

Kaoru's gaze became fixed on the ground as she answered, "Well, I told them the longer way to get here because I wanted to intersect them. I only wanted to find out what they wanted, and now I do."

Sanosuke looked at Kaoru, frowning lightly.

"Kamiya-san, I'm afraid I have to go now, but I hope you have a good evening."

"Thank you, Sano-kun. I hope you have a pleasant evening as well," Souta said as smooth as silk.

Sanosuke looked worriedly at Kaoru before taking off.

Kaoru's head snapped up in anger.

"Father! How could you? I thought you were for peace!"

Souta looked calmly at his daughter before answering, "It's chilly out here. I am going to go inside. I advise you come as well."

Kaoru looked angrily at her father's back before following him. Underneath his calm voice were tones of authority.

Souta slowly took off his shoes, lining it up gently next to the other pairs. Kaoru slammed the door shut behind her, making it rattle on its hinges. She carelessly took off her shoes, throwing them into a corner.

Yuki same rushing to where her small family was, her hair in complete disarray.

"What happened? I heard the door slam, are you two alright?!"

"I'm fine, but father seems to have to explain himself…"

Yuko looked questioningly at her husband. "What does she mean?"

Souta shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Nothing. She is just alarmed at me because I accepted their proposal to go to war alongside them."

Yuko's eyes widened as her voice quivered. "You accepted..?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Kaoru's fists shook at her sides, her lower lip trembling.

"Father, how could you be so inconsiderate?! What about peace? You told me that peace was better than fighting!"

Souta looked sternly at his daughter. "This is the only thing I can do. If I accept I can help lessen the severity of the war."

Yuko looked at Souta in complete shock. "Souta, what are you thinking? I know we want peace, but going to war is taking this a little too far!"

Souta laughed bitterly. "Now you think this 'a little too far'? This is for peace, Yuko. I thought we were both on the same wavelength here. It appears I am wrong."

"Souta, listen to what you are saying! You are actually willing to throw away your life…all to obtain your so called 'peace'?"

"My so-called 'peace'? We both want this and now you are saying that it's not worth it?"

"No! I'm not saying that…all I am saying is that this is…absurd! Absurd is the only word that I can use to describe this!"

Souta quizzically looked at his wife. "Absurd? I do not understand what is so absurd."

"What is absurd is that you are willing to throw away everything we have, in order to obtain peace."

Kaoru looked at both of her parents angrily. All they were doing was quarreling and it wasn't helping.

"Mother, father! Stop fighting! This is so stupid! I don't understand anything anymore!"

Souta and Yuko stopped and looked at Kaoru's trembling form.

"I can't believe you! Father… mother…I hate you!" Kaoru, blinded by salty tears, ran to her room, leaving Souta and Yuko to stand alone.

Souta smiled softly looking at Yuko. "When you said that she was going to eventually hate us…I never thought it would come so soon."

------------------------------------------

The pale moonlight was Kaoru's only source of light in the dark room.

Her hands were clasped together in prayer as she sat in her futon.

"What should I do now…?"

Kaoru smiled sadly as her question went unanswered.

She sighed and snuggled under the covers, staring listlessly at the twinkling stars, praying that sleep would find her fast tonight.


	3. You

**A/N:** ...**urk**. DX Apparently, it's been quite a while. With the reviewers I used to have, I wonder how many left. XD Well, a mere "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it...but I can only hope the chapter is...adequate, to say the least. And, no, I didn't die. XD I kind of lost inspiration, but somehow, I regained it. I still plan to take this story head on, no matter what. (Trying not to sound like a pushover for the following xD...) Please read and review! Reviews are like cookies, and I'm sure any author would agree. I'm completely open to critique, for that is what makes an author actually attempt to fix a mistake if deemed necessary. I really want to hear what you guys think and it would be nice to hear from everyone who read this story. Sorry if this chapter might be kind of short...I had no beta this time either. With the reviewers I have left, and the new ones that I hope are to come, without further ado, here is the third chapter of Tainted Black.

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. But for now...I have the characters hostage for the purposes of this story and they _WILL_ do what I please...

**Tainted Black**

Chapter Three

You

Thick sweet smelling wisps of smoke was released into the crisp air, its fragrant aroma pleasantly surrounding the area. Trembling, small hands placed the incense in the holder that was to the side of the pool of water. It was simplistic in style, but Kaoru was sure that her father would have liked it that way.

The haka itself was small in size, but there was still room for the flowers, incense, and water. The family name was carved into the smooth stone monument in elegant, distinct kanji. Next to the monument were daisies and chrysanthemums that Kaoru had bought from the local 'flower boy' in town.

Clear, crystalline water had been poured into the small groove in front of the monument and on each side were holders for incense. Nothing but silence was present as Kaoru struggled to verbalize the words in her heart.

"Hello...father" Her voice was pitiful and broken, no longer carrying the voice that spoke of youth.

The voice was tired and sounded old, a voice that no one would have thought belonged to a fifteen year-old.

Her hair had been done in a hasty ponytail, strands in complete disarray in some parts. Sapphire blue eyes were misted with tears that had not yet decided to fall.

Her expression of sadness gazed fixatedly at the haka, wishing that the letter that announced her father's death, was merely a horrid nightmare. Alas, it was not a nightmare, and most certainly not a dream. It was reality. Whoever said that "reality can come crashing down on you", the person failed to mention how fast and how hard it could hit you. Kaoru knew first hand, that reality was cruel. Reality can ruin hopes, dreams, and a future.

For Kaoru, it ruined all of the above.

"Father...I wanted to let you know, that I no longer practice the ways of the sword." She paused for a moment to hold back a choked sob as she repeated the words once more.

"I came to the conclusion after some serious thinking...and you know that I am not one to take back my words once they are spoken. I will only use my sword when need be. I hope you know that you are the cause of that." Kaoru looked bitterly at the haka, almost tempted to spit at it.

"I hope you know that everything that happened is your fault. Mother doesn't act the same anymore and its all because of you. You ruined all my chances for happiness. You ruined my love for the sword. You ruined...everything." A loud cry escaped from Kaoru as she pounded the ground with her clenched fists.

"You ruined everything. Everything. You ruined my hopes...my dreams...you were supposed to be there for me. You were supposed to teach me more. You were supposed to always, always, always watch over me." Kaoru yelled out, looking up at the hazy blue sky. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she hastily tried to wipe them away in vain.

"Why did you take him away from me? Oh kami, why did you take away my father? You above all people, should know how much he meant to me...How precious he was to me...So why...why did you do it ?" Kaoru looked down in pain as her frame shook with uncontrollable sobs.

"Who is supposed to be there when I'm in trouble? Who is going to care enough for me to want to look after me? Who is going to want to stand by me, no matter what my faults may be? Who, in this crazy messed up world, is going to be able to love me?"

Looking up at the grave, she said in a scornful tone, " I know for sure, that I don't want to live the same life you did. I no longer want to follow in your footsteps. I have lost all of my previous desire to." Determined eyes blinked back any tears that were sure to come once more.

"I no longer know what I should do. You said to fight for the weak, but how can I, knowing that you went off to war? You, knowingly went to war, where I am sure you killed many out of your own free will. Did peace really mean that much to you...that it meant you had to kill innocent people to obtain it? You told me war was wrong...and yet you accepted the proposal. You told me to save people with my sword, and yet, here you are...killing people with you blade..."

A hoarse, tired laugh escaped from her lips as a gentle smile spread across her features. "You killed people...I know it, deep inside my heart. I no longer have any reason to fight with my sword. I know this much without having you to consult. A swordsman whom has no...reason, or cause, to hold a sword...will most certainly be manipulated in the future. I have no desire to be manipulated, as you probably know all too well."

"I do not wish for someone to impose why they think I should use a sword." She said as her quiet sobs had subsided, eyes filled with the little life it had left turning to steel.

"Even you father, no matter how kind you were to me, cannot tell me to use a sword to save people. When the time comes that I must use a sword, it will be for my purposes, and my purposes alone. If it means that I must slay the innocent, then so be it. If it means that I must protect people who do not deserve to be protected, then so be it."

Kaoru stood up and shivered slightly, finally noticing how cold it was that winter morning.

Brushing the dirt off her white kimono, her shoulders shrugged soundlessly as she realized her white garment had been stained with blotches of dirt. Stained enough to be deemed irreparable. Almost like how she felt her soul was now. Simple, irreparable.

Looking once more at the haka, Kaoru gave a curt bow, the resolve in her voice unfaltering as she stated determinedly, "No one, not even you, father, can govern the way I think and live my life." She knew she was rambling now, but who else was she to turn to? Certainly not her mother.

"From this point on, I _will _live without regrets and abandon all you have taught me. I will find my own reason for living and do as I please. Although you have ruined me...I will not, definitely not, lose my sole reason for living on, and that is to find my own reasons, my own truth, my own...everything. I refuse to become a shell with no emotion...and I will live up to my reasons for living. I will not go back on my word. I do not wish to become like you or mother. I simply wish...to be myself."

Slowly walking away, her heart seemed to twist painfully. It was the first anniversary of her father's death...and she had been quite rude. Kaoru could almost imagine her father's spirit looking down at her in distaste. She had most definitely disgraced herself this morning. Its not as if she didn't love her father, she did, very much so.

'The only way I can keep on living, is if I forget what my father had told me...He was my truth...him letting me down, is proof that I can't hold fast to his memory any longer, lest I be brought down sooner.' Kaoru thought to herself sadly, wondering what other trials she must face. With her father gone, was there really any hope?

Shaking her head sadly, Kaoru whistled a song to herself as she walked down the old, beaten path that she had come from.

_'I wish...to start my life anew.'_

As if it had been watching the spectacle, a turtledove chirped sadly from above the tree branch it was perched in, piercing the newly awakened silence that had appeared upon Kaoru's leave.

----------------------------------------------------------

Kaoru saw her mother sitting on the front porch as she neared the house and gave an indignant snort. She sighed tiredly as she observed her mother staring listlessly at a tree.

The large barren sakura tree where her father had proposed to her. The barren sakura tree where vows of undying love had been declared and sealed.

After what had happened at the haka, Kaoru had little will power to be able to deal with her mother. Not now.

Stepping into her line of vision, Kaoru gave a simple nod of acknowledgement as she attempted to brush past her mother.

Her attempt failed however when a bony hand reached out to her own.

Kaoru froze in place and trembled slightly, her voice shaking, "Yes, mother?"

"Sit."

The quiet reply was commanding and...spooky.

"As you wish..._mother_..." Sitting as far away from her as possible, but still within distance of hearing and speaking, Kaoru slowly turned to look at her mother.

No words could possibly describe how she was feeling. Her mother had given up all hope in everything and it showed as plain as day with just a look. A mere passer-by would be able to tell that something was wrong.

She had not taken well to the death of her father. She normally spent her days rotting away in her room, doing nothing but sulk.

With a small smile playing at her lips, Kaoru knew that her mother probably thought of nothing but ending her life. Only the weak at heart would think of doing such things, and with her mother acting the way she was, she wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened.

Isn't one supposed to try to overcome their most difficult ordeals and move on with life? Life is only in one's grasp for a fraction of a second. By the next second, you painfully realize that it has slipped by, taking all hopes of having happiness with it.

Yuko Kamiya had given up all desire to live after the death of her husband, the fact being completely undeniable.

The house had become a filthy mess due to the lack of cleaning. Dust had gathered on lonely furniture, bugs had found homes in small nooks and crannies, and the plates had piled up into a mountain almost as tall as Mt.Fuji.

Soon her mother began ordering her to clean the house and do all the chores. Kaoru was surprised her mother was even able to eat the food that was cooked since she cooked absolutely horrible. At least, that was what every single person who had tried her cooking had said.

Her mother, at this moment, looked the same. Her eyes were empty and dark, no light seemed to shine, no happiness.

Simply cold, dark, emptiness.

Her hair was tangled and disgustingly oily and dirty, salty sweat and tears had marred her skin. Kaoru was certain that the last time she bathed was the week before today, her father's death day, since that was the last time she recalled bathing her.

Her mother could barely do anything by herself anymore. Amazing, how one year could change a person.

"Kaoru, I only wish to say this once, and I hope to have your full understanding of the situation. You are a full grown girl and should accept what I am about to tell you with pride."

Snapping out of her reminiscence, Kaoru glared at her mother as she heard the words "full grown girl".

"I am merely a child, mother. I do not feel as if I am the adult you are clearly implying I am"

A cold stare was sent her way, a stare that made her cringe. Despite the fact that Kaoru completely despised and utterly loathed the person whom her mother had become, did not change the fact that she was...a bit afraid of her.

Who would not be afraid, of talking to a living, breathing, talking...skeleton?

"Do not speak back to me, Kaoru. Unless you wish to-"

"I will not speak back to you again mother, I swear upon the grave that I am sure to have when I grow older...just, please, don't." Kaoru cut in flawlessly, but hurriedly.

She knew all too well the consequences if she did not listen to her mother nowadays.

A cruel smile stretched across her mothers features as she gave a knowing glance at her daughter.

"In that case, I would like to tell you something that may come as a shock."

Kaoru bore her eyes into her mother's, wishing for just this once, that she could read her soul. By doing so, maybe she could understand why her mother was the way she was.

Isn't love supposed to be a wonderful feeling? Is it not supposed to lift you to the heavens and back while floating on a gentle breeze of wind or even a soft puff of cloud?

However, is love really supposed to hurt someone so much? So much, that it drives them to the brink of insanity?

These were questions that filled Kaoru's mind every waking moment, along with many others.

Just then, her mother spoke seven words that changed Kaoru's life forever. Seven words that made her insecure world, shatter into a million pieces.

Seven words that rang as loud and clear as the peal of church bells, but were not able to be processed in Kaoru's mind.

Her mouth was agape, and the only coherent word that left her mouth was, "What?"

Kaoru shivered as she realized her mother seemed to be content with the news.

The love of her life was gone, why not ruin someone else's was the clear reading that she received. The smile that was on her mother's face was chilling to the bone.

She really was, in all honesty, a skeleton.

"You are to have an arranged marriage."

"Mother...I don't understand...when was this decided? And to who am I to be married to?"

"This was decided quite some time ago...I don't even remember anymore. Despite that, you are to be married to Himura Kenshin."

A sick grin flitted across her mother's features once more as she answered the question, taking full pleasure in seeing the distress play on her daughter's features.

Kaoru paled drastically as she heard the name "Himura Kenshin".

"Kenshin-kun...he is one of my most treasured friends, and I don't love him! So with that being said...why must I be his...wife?" Kaoru practically spat everything out in collected anger.

"It matters not if you love him."

Kaoru stood up from her sitting position, fists clenching at her sides, her anger evident from the look in her eyes to her entire being.

"It matters not if I love him...then, pray tell, why were you so fortunate to marry out of love? Why did you marry father out of your desire? Marriage is supposed to be out of love, not arranged!"

Yuko's eyes narrowed into slits at her child's bold declaration. "You know nothing of love. You are not in any position to speak of it as if you know everything about it. You are to love Himura Kenshin, that is your destiny. For, you see, your destiny has already been decided, whether you like it or not."

Trying to calm herself, Kaoru sat back down, attempting to try and speak rationally with her mother.

"I most certainly do not love Kenshin-kun. Although I have not experienced what it is like to be in love, I know that the place in my heart that is for Kenshin-kun...is not love. It can't be love. It simply cannot be." She said, trying to convince her mother that she felt nothing for the crimson haired boy that she had known since...forever.

"Then you will learn to love him. This will be a great opportunity nonetheless. Besides, wouldn't you love to be a princess? A spoiled little bratty princess that gets whatever she wants and when she wants?" Yuko looked at her daughter spitefully as if she was resentful of her soon-to-be place in royalty.

"I do not wish to be a princess, mother. I already felt like one when father was alive..." Kaoru said in hushed tones, for a moment, forgetting she was angry at _him_.

Hearing this, Yuko rose in anger, the smile completely erased from her mouth.

"What did you just say...?"

Eyes widening in fear, Kaoru then realized the dire mistake she had made.

"I did not mean any harm, mother, I promise. It was simply a slip of the tongue, honest."

The moon was the only source of illumination that displayed her fear, Kaoru felt like a little girl all over again. A cold, hard sweat was beginning to appear above her brow as she whimpered softly to herself.

Then the blow came and left as quickly as it had come.

Kaoru felt herself being knocked down and could swear that there were stars dancing about.

Raising a hand up to her cheek, her heartbeat quickened as she felt a sticky wet substance on her skin. Fingertips slowly glided down her cheek as the liquid collected at the tips, slowly trickling down to her arm. Kaoru's eyes, finally adjusting to the light of the moon, widened in horror as she identified the substance as blood.

"You always thought you were better than me. You always thought that you would succeed in taking him away from me. Souta was _mine_ and _always_ will be. There is nothing that you could ever hope to do about it. You are a sick child...always competing against me...You were fighting a losing battle from the start!"

Kaoru look at her mother in a terrifying new light. Her own mother...was jealous of her? Although her mother had raised a hand at her numerous times in the past year, she never hit hard enough to draw _that_ much blood. Never.

"Kaoru, you are a sick, sick child. _Sick_. You are a disgrace to the whole Kamiya family. You have disgraced all of our ancestors."

"I know that mother...I know..." She said, eyes dimming slightly.

"Sit back up. I still have once last thing to discuss with you."

Slowly picking herself up, Kaoru sat once more as she looked straight ahead. She did not wish to look at her mother any longer.

"I am sure you want to know the real reason as to why you are to have an arranged marriage. Actually, I'm quite certain you are absolutely dying to know why."

Kaoru said nothing, and let the cold silence be her answer.

Taking that as a yes, Yuko continued on, "Well, the reason is because you are getting married for peace."

Kaoru's eyes widened as the pieces finally started coming together.

"So I...was nothing more than a tool...There has been no talk of a peace treaty...because I am_ it_."

As the realization dawned on her, Kaoru felt like throwing up.

This was worse than she could have possibly imagined. There was no way to get out of this.

She was going to be wed to one of her best friends, even though she harbored no love for him whatsoever. There were no escape routes this time, and even Kaoru's analytical mind could get her out of this.

There were no hidden back doors, for this was it.

"Although I do not wish to...I will marry Himura Kenshin for the peace of our two warring kingdoms." She said it quietly, almost inaudibly, almost not believing the surreal situation.

Kaoru twitched when she felt an embrace encircle her from behind.

Her senses shouldn't have been that muddled as not to recognize that her mother had stood up to embrace her from behind.

"There, there Kaoru...All will be well. I'm sure you will learn to love him. Besides, there was no other answer for you to give anyways...you had to say yes, and you know it."

Kaoru shivered as she felt a kiss placed on her forehead, and just as the ghostly presence of her mother appeared behind her, it quickly left, most assuredly returning to the inside of the house.

Kaoru let out the breath she had unknowingly been holding and clutched her stomach tightly.

She...had been used.

She was now to be married to Kenshin and the whole weight of this marriage finally crashed down on her.

She was now the hope of the people...for she was the peace treaty that would end the war.

Kaoru's eyes widened and she suddenly felt very nauseous. Choking back on a sob, this time she threw up.


End file.
